Display device



Nov. 14, 1944. I s. l. BURD ETAL DISPLAY DEVICE Filed March 7 .INVENTOR SAMUEL I BUED $27M! M. BUED ATTORNEY Patented Nov. l4,

, V DISPLAY Device I Samuel'I .Burd and Martin M. Burd, Melrose Park, Ba.

2 Application March 7, 1944,.sefia1' b. 525,456

' '2 Claims' ('01. 35-5 -Our invention relates to a display device and more particularly :to a device adapted for the display of stockings. One object of our inventionis to produce an improved display device of the character set forth.

A further object of our invention is to produce a display device which, in addition to displaying a full length ladies hose, also intermittently stretches a given part of'the hose, such, for example, as the toe, in order to demonstrate the elasticity, the durability, and the quality of the fabric.

.A further object of our invention is .to produce can be easily mounted in the limited space available in a display window, with the operating part of the mechanism concealed so that the display may present a neat and attractive appearance.

These and other objects are effected by our invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this invention, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation, illustrating the display device embodying'our invention shown applied to the stretching of-thetoe of a ladies stocking;

Fig. 2 is a section, on an enlarged scale, along lines 1'III of Fig. 1, showing the display device in its collapsed or non-stretching position;

. over and draped upon the form l so as, to simuon line display device and to, conceal from view any part of the mechanism which mightotherwise mar the appearance. The form I0 may be suitably secured to the board l4 either permanently or in a detachable manner, a by wing nuts or the like I6. A flexible shaft I8 extends through the form It) and through. an opening'in the board l4, so as to be actuated by a motor 2|] suitably supported behind the board l4 so as to be concealed from view. The exact construction of the shaft I8 is not shown, for the reason that anyapproved design available on the market may be a display device of the character set forth which is inexpensive to manufacture and sell and which employed. The'shaft IB conform to the bend in the knee of the stocking and also to the bend along the ankle and instep of the stocking, and the lower end thereof is supported in a suitable bearing 22 carried by a spider 24 which, in turn,

is suitably carried by or secured to the lower portion of the form H] at a point immediately in advance of the toe portion 36 of the stocking. The shaft l8 carries a cam 26 which i adapted to coact with cam surfaces 28 formed inthe juxtaposed ends of two members 30 and 32. The members 30' and 32, when in abutment along their inner edges, constitute a form for the toe portion 36 of the stocking. The members 30 and 32 are urged towards each other by a pair of torsion spring 34 and are adapted to be spread apart by the cam 26.

In Figs. 2, 4'and 5, the cam 26 is shown in its ineffective position with the members 30 and 32 drawn into close abutment by the springs 34. In this position, the toe of the stocking is not stretched. When the motor20 is turned on so as to revolve theshaft l8 at the desired R. P.

.the cam 26 will rotate with the shaft l8 and late a demonstration by a living model. The

form' In may be made of any desired material such as cardboard, or if it is desired to transmit light therethrough, it may be made from some translucent material which will enhance the appearance of thestocking. Alternatively, the form Ill may be made of material which will provide adequate background'for the sheer fabric of the stocking. The form I0 is suitably secured to a display board I4, which is shown broken away in Fig. l, but-the size, contour and decoration of which form no part of the present invention. The purpose of the board l4 isfto support the every time the cam 26 assumes the position shown inFig. 3, the members 30 and 32 are spaced apart and the stocking toe 36 is stretched. It will be noted that the leg form l0 stops at a point at,

or. slightly past, the middle of the instep so as to leave the toe portion of the foot unsupported, except by the members 30 and 32, whereby, when the members 30' and 32 are separated by the cam Also, since the form is bent to represent the,

position of the knee in a natural'sittin'g posture,

the fabric of the stocking is somewhat stretched at the knee, thus also contrasting with the unone side of said board and adapted to have a stretched portions covering the leg from above and below the knee.

Whilewe have shown the mechanism applied "'t'ching the toe portion of the stocking, it is obviousthat the members 30 and 32 and cam 28 canbe caused to act along the heel, ankle, calf or any portion of thestocking, or a plurality of members 30, 32 and cams 26 can be mounted on the shaft l 8rsimultaneousl-y to stretch two or more portions of the stocking.

What we claim is:

1. A ladies stocking display device comprising" 'a vertically-disposed board, a form simulating the leg of a person in sitting Position carried by stocking drawn 'thereover, said form including i vertically-disposed calf, knee, and ankle portions,

and substantially horizontally-disposed foot and lower thigh portions, the foot portion of said form terminating inadyance of the toe portion of the stocking, whereby the toe portion ofsaid stockin isiunsupported bysaid form, a m otor' carried "by j the opposite side of said board-,1 a flxibleshaft i as-awmm operatively connected to said motor and projecting through said board, said sha-i't extending through and being bent to conform to the shape of said form, a bearing carried by the foot portion of said form for supporting the free end of said shaft, a pair of juxtaposed separable members adapted to support the toe portion of the stocking, a cam rotatable by said shaft and disposed between said members, a spring normally biasing said members against the opposite sides of said cam, said members and said cam being so constructed and arranged that, in one position of said cam, said members and said cam fill, but do not expand, the toe of said stocking, and in another: position of said cam, said members are separated soasto expand said toe portion.

2. The structure recited in claim 1 in which the central portions of the contiguous sides of saidmemberszare provided with cam faces c0- actingzwith said cam.

- SAMUEL I. BURD. MARTIN M. BURD. 

